A group of Senate Finance Committee Republican members submitted recommendations to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, outlining seven guiding principles and six proposals aimed at tax reform, including, unsurprisingly, repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and its tax increases.
Finance Committee Ranking Member Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, has been very vocal in his antipathy toward PPACA.
Hatch was joined by Senators Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, Pat Roberts, R-Kansas, Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., John Cornyn, R-Texas, John Thune, R-S.D., Tom Coburn, R-Okla. and Richard Burr, R-N.C.In a letter to Joint Committee Co-Chairs Senator Patty Murray, D-Wash and Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, the senators wrote, "As members of the Senate's Committee on Finance, we are submitting our recommendations on tax, entitlement programs, and trade policy that make meaningful contributions to deficit reduction."
Under the Budget Control Act, congressional committees could submit recommendations to the Joint Committee by today.
On Medicare, the Senators recommended reviewing a multitude programs under Medicare, parts A through D, including reevaluating the eligibility age.
Other recommendations include evaluating the impact of supplemental coverage, establishing a uniform deductible covering Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B services, strengthening efforts against fraud, waste and abuse, reducing geographic variations in health spending, realigning provider payments; and evaluating existing cost-sharing structures for post-acute services.
